This book is
a new extensive
and updated biography of Prof. Nehama Leibowitz (1905-1997),
well-respected and
much loved teacher and Bible scholar. This enormous project was
undertaken by Yael
Unterman, an Israeli scholar currently lecturing and writing in the
area of
contemporary Jewish Studies. A brief biography of Leibowitz's academic
career
is as follows: In 1925-1930, Leibowitz pursued higher education in the
Universities of Berlin, Heidelberg and Marburg, studying English,
Germanics and biblical studies. At the same time, she
continued
her Jewish studies at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des
Judentums, or Higher Institute for Jewish Studies, a rabbinical seminary
established in Berlin in 1872 and destroyed by the Nazi government in 1942. In
1931, she completed her doctoral thesis, “Techniques of Judeo-German Bible Translations in
the
Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century, as Exemplified by Translations of the
Book of
Psalms” at the University of Marburg. The thesis
explored the
Yiddish translations of the Hebrew Bible, based on manuscripts in the
Parma and Berlin libraries.
Her scholarly interests ran the gamut from Jewish classical
commentaries,
Hebrew philology, and pedagogy to Germanics and literature. Well-versed
in
Jewish sources, Leibowitz became a distinguished Bible teacher,
enthusiastically educating generations of students and teachers.

Unterman notes in her opening
that “The book is based on the reading of numerous primary and
secondary sources, as well as close to two hundred interviews and
conversations.”
(Notes for the Reader, 10) The “Notes to the Reader,” “Key to
Abbreviations,” and “Acknowledgments,” are followed by an
introduction dedicated to this female Jewish Bible scholar who embarked
on a career of teaching Hebrew Scripture in Israel and abroad.

The book is designed to
unfold the life story of Nehama in chapters 1-12, with an eye towards
her pedagogical methods (cleverly collected in Part I under the title
“Meet Nehama
Leibowitz”). The following issues are addressed here: early years, the Gilyonot,
and teaching career are thoroughly discussed in Part I. Chapters 13-24
focus on some of the topics elaborated in Parts II, III, IV, and V.
Leibowitz's Zionism, feminism, religious values,
methodology, her brother's influence and their relationships, are
followed by a look to
the future of Leibowitz's legacy. By immigrating to Israel with her
husband, Leibowitz has offered an example of religious-Zionist
spirit, stating that Israel and Hebrew represent the Torah's natural
environment. Addressing
Diaspora Bible teachers, she said: “May you also succeed in inducing
your students to
come up to Zion so that they may study our holy Torah in the holy
language in which it was given, on holy soil” (252). There is an
unmistakable coincidence
between her admiration of Zionism and the cultural environment in which
she was
brought up, as noticed by Unterman: “The city [Berlin] was boasted
Jewish clubs and societies, schools and synagogues, as well
as significant Zionist activity. Nehama's family integrated all of
these
elements. It was strongly religious, including some Rabbis on the
Leibowitz side;
and also broadly educated. They were also Zionists, and the children
spoke
in Hebrew with their father...” (25) The author, however, makes it
clear
that Leibowitz was different, to a certain extent, from secular
Zionists who
read the Bible merely “as a guidebook to human nature, and also to the
flora, fauna and topography of Israel”
(368). By contrast, the main driving force behind her Zionistic spirit
was a traditional
Jewish reading of the Bible. Interestingly, Unterman points out that
she did
not draw attention to herself as a female Bible scholar (chapter 14,
Part II).

In “Part III: Methodology” (368-514), Unterman unfolds Leibowitz's
negative approach
to biblical criticism, extensive use of midrashim and medieval
classical
commentators, and her belief that knowledge of the Hebrew language in
its entirety is a must for every earnest student of scripture. She was
involved in
adult Jewish education, mainly in teaching Bible per se, and rarely
referring
to ancient Near Eastern traditions and texts. Though Nehama worked to
counter
David Ben-Gurion's statement that “the Bible shines with its own
light,” Unterman observes: “The commentaries were not intended to be
studied on their own, but alongside the Tanach, so as illuminate, she
believed” (369). Leibowitz imparted biblical interpretation to her
students by utilizing drama, storytelling, and Hebrew poetry. In
Unterman's
words, “‘All of life is parshanut.’ Certainly, all of her
was parshanut and parshanim. This was the arena in
which her work
made the most impact.” (368; italics original) Jewish scholars of the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox,
were also
highly regarded and utilized by Leibowitz throughout her teaching
career (chapter
19, 413-436). Though trained in scholarly circles, Leibowitz strongly
disregarded
their hermeneutical methods as inappropriate
to biblical exegesis. The author notes that Leibowitz was rather
critical towards, what she claimed to be, their poor knowledge of the classical Hebrew and
anti-Semitic
attitudes (415-19).

The volume concludes with an
epilogue, bibliography, and a general index. Unterman's book would have
been enhanced if she had included an index of scripture. Furthermore, a
significant
biographical query is lacking and probably needs to be addressed: what
was Leibowitz's
position on inter-faith dialogue (especially in light of her Jewish
legacy)?
Though it is quite understandable that an one-volume biography cannot
be
all-encompassing, I suppose that recovering her approach to other
religions
would enlighten other aspects of her life and career (e.g., some
aspects of
biblical interpretation).

In sum, Unterman's book is generally clear,
well-written and well-documented. This book achieves its purpose of
presenting Leibowitz's
life along with some interesting photographs and stories (a number of
them peppered
with anecdotes and are quite funny), and investigation into her
contributions
to the field of HB/OT studies. It is filled out with many quotes from
students
and scholars deeply influenced by her scholarship. I would recommend it
as a
guide to all interested in the history of biblical interpretation,
feminist
scholarship, Jewish education, and contemporary Israeli Bible
scholarship outside that of the “usual” scholarly, academic world.
Indeed, Unterman's Nehama
Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar is an enduring resource
for
scholars engaged in recovery of female Bible interpreters in the past
and
present.